Stories about Food from January, 2009
Japan: Blurry Lines Between Buzz and Truth – McDonald's Quarter Pounder Debut
Cultivating imported products into megahits is a big part of creating consumer trends in Japan, and food is no exception to the rule. Last year, it was the American donut shop, Krispy Kreme. The year before that, it was the American ice cream shop, Cold Stone Creamery. Both are Western foods that are familiar to the Japanese, with a unique twist. Both gained fame for long lines in front of their stores. And both were carefully cultivated hits.
Jamaica, Zimbabwe: Hunger Strike
“Do people in Jamaica and the Caribbean care enough about events in Zimbabwe to lend their help to this call for moral action?”: Annie Paul has a friend who is...
Russia: Conscript Seeks Asylum in Georgia
Aleksandr Glukhov, a 21-year-old Russian conscript, has asked for asylum in the Republic of Georgia to escape the "unbearable conditions" in the Russian army. One of Glukhov's media appearances took place as he was dining at a McDonald's restaurant in Tbilisi. Russian officials claim that Glukhov was captured by Georgian armed forces in South Ossetia, where he was performing his compulsory military service, and taken to the Georgian capital. Quite a few people in Russia seem to consider Glukhov "a traitor." Below are some of the reactions from the Russophone blogosphere.
Hungary: New Flickr Group With CC-Licensed Photos
Antal Dániel of Central Europe Activ writes that he has started a Flickr group that “has only Creative Commons licensed photographs taken in Hungary.” One of the photos there was...
Azerbaijan: Jam
Sheki, Azerbaijan continues to introduce its readers to some of the many cultural traditions in the country, and especially those involving food. In a new post the blog writes about...
China: Does the government still concern about the “kidney stone babies”?
The coverage of the tainted milk scandal in China has been gradually faded away from the mass media with the bankruptcy of Sanlu company. In December 2008, the Chinese government...
Guyana: Flooding Controversy
Guyana has been experiencing severe bouts of flooding recently, causing damage to crops and livestock and outrage among bloggers.
Peru: Buying an Alligator Body Part by Body Part
Alligators are commonly consumed in the Peruvian Amazon region. De La Selva [es] writes about an experience in the market of Belén, where people gathered around the animal to purchase...
Taiwan: Prepare for the Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year is right at the corner. The Lunar New Year is an important holiday for family members and friends to get together in Taiwan. To prepare the...
Slovenia: “The Parliament Kitchen”
Sleeping With Pengovsky writes about a place that offers tasty and cheap meals but is inaccessible to most Slovenians: the parliament's canteen.
Georgia: Beautiful Tbilisi
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines, the blog of an Azerbaijani political analyst based in Baku and Istanbul, pays its first visit to Tbilisi, capital of the Republic of Georgia. The...
Ukraine: “Notes From an Underground”
Stephan Clark of Everybody I Love You links to an audio version of his essay on how not to starve in Ukraine: “When you learn you’re going to Ukraine for...
Russia: “Shaverma” in St. Pete
Eagle and the Bear writes about “shaverma” in St. Petersburg, “unmarriagable cousin in relation to the spicy Middle Eastern shawarma hawked by New York street vendors.”
Azerbaijan: Tea
Sheki, Azerbaijan introduces its readers to the tea ceremony in Azerbaijan. The blog says that the country might be one of the world's highest per capita consumers of tea and...
Morocco: On Poverty and Gaza
Duncan Goes to Morocco, a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Morocco, discusses poverty in his village, and the reaction of the village to the incidents in Gaza.
Malaysia: Campaign to boycott US goods
As a form of protest against Washington’s support for Israel, some Malaysians are boycotting U.S. products. Opinion in the Malaysian blogosphere is divided over the campaign.
Taiwan: Organic farming in Taiwan
In Taiwan, more and more farmers adopt organic farming methods, from rice to vegetables, from fruits to roses, and from tea to coffee. These farmers use blogs to support each other and sell their products.
Russia-Georgia: Overcoming war by wine?
Paul Goble of WindowonEurasia discusses how Georgian wine producers are seeking to get Russia's ban on Georgian wine import lifted.
Ghana: A good relationship is like fufu
Gayle Pescud of This is Ghana compares fufu, a Ghanaian staple, with a good relationship.
Mexico: A Trip to the Taco Stand and Trust
“If there is a heaven, I am sure that there is a taco stand…” writes El Nahual of Mexico Para Los Mexicanos [es]. He tells a story of a recent...
Bruneian bakers use blog as a marketing tool
Home makers in Brunei have utilised the blog as a marketing tool to sell their wares. Many are bakers and cake makers that display their products on their respective blogs. Many of them are mothers or working professionals that do part-time baking. It has been a success for many and created a buzz for blog readers and supporters.
